Problems as a Driver of Self-Directed Makerspaces

• In Event: Place and Praxis in the Radical Imaginary of Self-Directed Education

Abstract

Purpose
This study investigates how students source necessary information, make decisions about what to try next, and ultimately, create their own feedback loop absent traditional teacher-to-student feedback when afforded the time to freely pursue making in self-directed educational spaces.
Theoretical Perspectives
In The Child and the Curriculum, Dewey (2013) argues for the abandonment of the notion of subject matter as a ready-made map created outside the learner’s experience. He asserts that growth results from an exploration process in which the learner may experience uncertainty, make mistakes, and also find successes. Prepackaged curricula lack organic connection to the child’s prior experiences. There is no naturally-occurring obstacle to supply motivation, and the truly thought-provoking character of subject matter is obscured. In contrast, educational spaces without a set curriculum, such as self-directed education (SDE) settings, provide environments for free exploration and problem-solving, as students are free to determine how, what, where and with whom they spend their time (Gray, 2013).
One type of SDE environment, makerspaces, are places where people come together to create (Bullock & Sator, 2015). They are becoming more popular in traditional educational spaces like schools and libraries. Since makerspaces typically host projects of individual and community interest, the question of how to best merge these spaces with a conventional school setting has arisen (Clapp, et. al, 2016). In particular, as many educational institutions grapple with how to integrate making opportunities into students’ learning experiences, a gap exists in literature about moving beyond prescribed making projects. Because schools based on SDE provide students ample time, space, and freedom to pursue their interests, they provide an ideal environment for investigating how students manage their own making projects.
Methods and Data Sources
To determine what aspects of the making process were informative, transitional, and evaluative, I conducted interviews with three high school-aged students who attended U.S. Sudbury or democratic schools, along with their parents. Since the students were creating long-term, involved making projects, I employed an intrinsic case study, which provides thick descriptions of the case and the context (Bhattacharya, 2017) and often includes interviews as a method of data collection. Interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Findings
I found that naturally-occurring obstacles were the primary reason for seeking information, transitioning, and then evaluating progress. For example, when one student was unable to fully melt aluminum in the foundry he had constructed by watching videos online, he sought out books and experts on Discord to troubleshoot the problem. Through those interactions, he determined that he needed to change the type of charcoal he was using. As a result, he was able to successfully create ingots of aluminum. He evaluated his work by comparing it to the results he saw online.
Significance
Although project-based obstacles are unique to each making project, the problem solving process that is sparked by encountering obstacles in makerspaces could be used by teachers as a framework for self-directed making, thus enabling them to more effectively support students' organic learning.

Author

• Sarah Margalus, Washington and Lee University